Cameron Z77 N4502V
8 October 2009 · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 8 October 2009 at about 14:18 local time, a Cameron Z77 registered N4502V was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:18
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Nearest airport
- Albuquerque Intl Airport (KABQ)
- Coordinates
- 35.1375, -106.5561
- Aircraft
- Cameron Z77
- Registration
- N4502V
- Category
- Balloon
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Air Race/Show
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Rio Rancho → Albuquerque
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN10CA017
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the balloon during the approach and landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
After a morning balloon flight the pilot was making an approach to landing on a golf course. During a descent to treetop level the pilot reported the winds varied from 8 to 17 miles per hour. After descending below the tops of the trees the pilot reported a gust of 17 miles per hour with a “significant wind shift,” which moved the balloon laterally toward a line of trees. Just before touchdown the pilot said that she “pulled the top” to avoid hitting the trees and “we landed quickly dragging about 5 feet”. As the envelope deflated it snagged a tree causing minor damage to the balloon. The pilot sustained a fractured ankle and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The other occupant was not injured.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 2009 | Curtiss Moses AEROLITE | Los Lunas, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 2009 | Agusta A109E | Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States | New Mexico State Police | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 Oct 2009 | Aerostar RX-7 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Oct 2009 | Cessna T210L | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Suddarth Steven Craig | No injuries | - |
| 9 Mar 2009 | Grumman American Avn AA-1B | Golden, New Mexico, United States | Rupert Randal N | Fatal | 2 |
| 8 Oct 2009 | Aerostar RX8 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |